I read this entry on the front page of this blog titled ONE Vote '08 Attacks Worldwide Poverty As A Root Cause and at the Huffington Post: Ben Affleck: Join One Vote '08. I'd like to know why neither of them addressed the problem of the Vulture Funds? Greg Palast has done some excellent reporting on the subject, and I think we need to ask those promoting one Vote '08 what they plan to do to stop the vultures, and why they've been deadly silent on the issue.
Greg Palast has done some excellent reporting on the story of the vulture funds as was noted in this diary Why He Slept In! Another Bush Scandal which made the recommended list here. Democracy Now! has also done some excellent reporting on the issue, and here's their latest:
Conyers Hunts Vultures- PT 1
Part 2- Conyers Hunts Bush's Vultures
Greg Palast also did a report on the BBC on the issue of the vulture funds:
Greg Palast Reports: BBC NewsNight- Vulture Funds
Greg Palast Reports- Part 2 of BBC NewsNight Vulture Bond
Here's the beginning of the transcript from Greg Palast's interview on Democracy Now!:
At the close of the G-8 Summit in Germany last Friday, leaders of the world’s richest countries reiterated their commitment, first made in 2005, to cancel all of the debt owed by the world’s poorest countries. However, so-called "vulture funds," or companies that buy up third world debt at rock-bottom prices and then sue the countries for the full value and more, are undermining any promises of debt relief.
In February, BBC investigative journalist Greg Palast exposed on Democracy Now! how one vulture fund, Donegal International owned by US resident Michael Sheehan, was trying to collect $40 million dollars from Zambia after buying one of its debts for $4 million dollars. Soon after, Congressman John Conyers and Congressman Donald Payne brought this up with President Bush, and urged him to ensure that the G-8 summit would close the legal loopholes that allow vulture funds to flourish. Greg Palast produced this report for BBC Newsnight last week.
Here's my question. If those that support One Vote '08 really care about the issue of poverty, why aren't they drawing attention to the problem of the vulture funds? In my opinion, this would be the perfect opportunity to draw some attention to the problem, and to pressure George Bush to put an end to the vultures. If anyone here is supporting One Vote '08, I hope you ask them to address this problem and bring it into the limelight so the poor of the world get their money instead of it going into the hands of their corrupt politicians, and corrupt Bush campaign donors. Enough is enough, and if those who are running this new campaign can't address one of the biggest problems we've got going on right now with aid not making its way to the poor, then what worth does their organization have?